There will be no Star Wars movie released in 2023. Rogue Squadron, the Patty Jenkins-directed Star Wars film about pilots, has long been scheduled for December 2023, but late last year news broke it was likely to be delayed. Disney kept the film on the schedule for nine months since — but today, finally took it off.
What exactly does that mean for Star Wars? Well, there are plenty of TV shows coming to Disney+ in the coming years and, for now, that’s the immediate future of the brand. Most believe that a film written and directed by Taika Waititi will be the next in-theatres Star Wars event, but there hasn’t been a significant public update on that in some time. Gizmodo reached out to Lucasfilm, but the studio had no comment.
As it stands now, the next Star Wars movie — whether it’s directed by Waititi or not — may not arrive until December 2025, a full six years after Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. It would be the longest gap between Star Wars films in, at that point, a decade.
But this is a good thing. There’s no reason to rush something to market just to hit a release date; we’ve seen what that can do. Instead, it seems much better to keep the fans happy with Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte, and make sure whatever movie is made, is made right.
And speaking of Star Wars shows, director Justin Simien — long connected to a potential Lando show — has had his next movie delayed too. Simien is directing Disney’s live-action Haunted Mansion film, which we got a look at last week. It was supposed to be out in March but now will be out in the summer, on August 11, 2023.
Are you nervous about the future of Star Wars films? Surprised by the move? Let us know below.
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